The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of African Americans who have leveraged their resilience to overcome barriers to complete post-secondary education. The study used a descriptive phenomenological qualitative research design, while the population studied was African Americans, particularly those who have completed their college education. The preferred sampling technique was purposive sampling, and the sample size obtained was 10 participants. An in-depth interview was the instrument used for collecting the desired data for the study. The interviews occurred via Zoom. Thematic analysis was employed for analyzing the collected data. The findings showed that African American students experience prejudice or inequity in college, but they leverage resilience in a variety of ways that ultimately helps them triumph over their encounters with discrimination and inequality. The findings also showed that African American students usually experience a social paradox of opportunity whereby they struggle to access similar opportunities as their white counterparts. However, through resilience developed through their support systems, they manage to overcome those adversities and graduate from college. The findings give devoted support for prior research by integrating the findings on how resilience enables individuals to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals. In addition, the study seeks to resolve the social paradox of opportunity that African American students face in universities, thereby improving the prospects of African American and other minority students to complete their degrees and secure well-paying careers in which they can make positive contributions to society. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]